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The Tree of Death: Yomotsuhegui #1
YOMOTSUHEGUI, Band 1 - DIE FRUCHT AUS DEM TOTENREICH
Ex-Polizist Kanetsugu Nawa hat durch einen schrecklichen Mord Frau und Kind verloren. Jahre später, nach seiner Entlassung auf Bewährung, kommt es durch die Kraft der geheimnisvollen Frucht Yomotsuhegui zu einer drastischen Veränderung in seinem Körper. Nun tritt der von Rachedurst besessene Nawa in einen schon nahezu ewig andauernden Kampf gegen die verfluchten Unsterblichen ein, und diesen Kampf führt er zusammen mit dem Shinigami-Mädchen Ren … Dramatischer Action-Horror-Thriller!
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 11, 2024
Masasumi Kakizaki's art is truly remarkable.
Yomotsuhegui is the tree of the dead, whose fruits grant immortality to those who consume them.
We delve into the journey of Kanetsugu Nawa, a former cop whose family was brutally murdered, now driven by vengeance against those responsible.
The first volume is fantastic and hints at the potential for a captivating series. However, it's baffling that there are only three volumes. This leaves me uncertain about what to expect from the rest of the story.
Yomotsuhegui is the tree of the dead, whose fruits grant immortality to those who consume them.
We delve into the journey of Kanetsugu Nawa, a former cop whose family was brutally murdered, now driven by vengeance against those responsible.
The first volume is fantastic and hints at the potential for a captivating series. However, it's baffling that there are only three volumes. This leaves me uncertain about what to expect from the rest of the story.
March 7, 2024
The quality is to die for here for the art. I wish this was on apps or deluxe edition pages. Story is solid, the “be a real hero” stuff is deep when I it wants to be and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens after. When it got emotional it was really good but also knew what it wanted to be. Hopefully the mangaka wraps this up nicely since it’s three volumes. so far so good the parts with the daughter and mother were very upsetting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2024
Basically imagine Kentaro Miura’s “Berserk” and the 2009 film “Law Abiding Citizen” mashed together. It surprisingly works really well here. The tone of the story and the artwork is undeniably dark and mature. Themes such as murder, torture, rape and suicide are prevalent, but they are there to progress the story and it never felt “edgy” for the sake of edginess.
October 24, 2026
First time I’ve heard of this but the cover pulled me in. Definitely very adult in nature and some scenes may be difficult for people. The emotional setup for the main character is fantastic and definitely gives a driving force for the story. The art is absolutely fantastic with some of the standouts being the full-page ones. Very curious to see how this story goes and evolves and will for sure check out the rest of the series !
Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC of this for review.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC of this for review.
April 16, 2024
Read this while at BAM! wasting time. This is some dark stuff!
Warning up front… Murder, Graphic Violence, Sexual Violence, Suicide, Dismemberment, Language, Nudity
Basic set-up is good guy cop Nawa is wrongfully accused of murdering his family and years later is released on parole. He is out for revenge because he knows who did kill his family. So bloodthirsty Nawa goes after the serial killer. By happenstance, Nawa has some supernatural powers that make it almost impossible to kill him. And there are others like him. Ren, a Shinigama doesn’t like this and wants to restore death to the world but needs to enlist Nawa to help her find others like him. Yue wants the opposite and for humanity to just be happy and live forever. And there is the conflict! So who does Nawa side with is kind of what this volume is about.
Again, this is some dark and brutal stuff. It reminded me a lot of Spawn or The Crow. And that isn’t a bad thing. Mix in some H.P. Lovecraft vibes and imagery and you have Yomotsuhegui. There is some humor to be found as well. I especially liked Ren and her Alien like tentacle friend whose name escapes me have some great lines. They are always hungry and rummaging through Nawa’s fridge and cabinets or asking him to bring them Tokoyaki home. They also are fond of Pizza, Pizza, Pizza!
The artwork is stellar! I was blown away by the detail and think most people will be.
I’m sure this will not be for everyone but for a dark and serious look at humanity, this volume was very well done.
Warning up front… Murder, Graphic Violence, Sexual Violence, Suicide, Dismemberment, Language, Nudity
Basic set-up is good guy cop Nawa is wrongfully accused of murdering his family and years later is released on parole. He is out for revenge because he knows who did kill his family. So bloodthirsty Nawa goes after the serial killer. By happenstance, Nawa has some supernatural powers that make it almost impossible to kill him. And there are others like him. Ren, a Shinigama doesn’t like this and wants to restore death to the world but needs to enlist Nawa to help her find others like him. Yue wants the opposite and for humanity to just be happy and live forever. And there is the conflict! So who does Nawa side with is kind of what this volume is about.
Again, this is some dark and brutal stuff. It reminded me a lot of Spawn or The Crow. And that isn’t a bad thing. Mix in some H.P. Lovecraft vibes and imagery and you have Yomotsuhegui. There is some humor to be found as well. I especially liked Ren and her Alien like tentacle friend whose name escapes me have some great lines. They are always hungry and rummaging through Nawa’s fridge and cabinets or asking him to bring them Tokoyaki home. They also are fond of Pizza, Pizza, Pizza!
The artwork is stellar! I was blown away by the detail and think most people will be.
I’m sure this will not be for everyone but for a dark and serious look at humanity, this volume was very well done.
August 5, 2024
CW: this is a very brutal manga and should come with a lot of content warnings (including rape, torture, gore, suicide).
Extremely good first volume of this manga. It’s brutal but so good. The brutality was not there for the sake of it and in no way romanticized or normalized. The art is spectacular and the character designs really good and distinct from each other. The dialogue is natural (for a manga), the world building efficiently done with an easy to understand plot. The protagonist and antagonist ‘sides’ are nuanced so it’s not a clear ‘good vs bad’ (even though one of the ‘bad guys’ was truly bad). Both sides look to be trying to manipulate the MC. The MC is engaging with an understandable motivation. and you can get behind his character.
Extremely good first volume of this manga. It’s brutal but so good. The brutality was not there for the sake of it and in no way romanticized or normalized. The art is spectacular and the character designs really good and distinct from each other. The dialogue is natural (for a manga), the world building efficiently done with an easy to understand plot. The protagonist and antagonist ‘sides’ are nuanced so it’s not a clear ‘good vs bad’ (even though one of the ‘bad guys’ was truly bad). Both sides look to be trying to manipulate the MC. The MC is engaging with an understandable motivation. and you can get behind his character.
March 20, 2024
I got the book for the solid artwork, which I think fits the narrative of how the story is going so far. I should also mentions if you someone who can handle body-gore, this book has alot of that going on along with adult-themes. I like the world-building as well that some of the characters are telling to the main protagonist, which I am looking forward to seeing more of in volume two when it comes out with an English translation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2024
Watched a manga recommendation video and added this to my list cause it sounded interesting.
Holy shit, it was as good as I thought it would be. Amazing artwork, very gory at times but I've read Berserk and this is nothing compared to that. But it does remind me of Berserk with the theme of revenge and the "dark side taking over" is like Guts' Berserker armour.
Can't wait to see where the story goes next!
Holy shit, it was as good as I thought it would be. Amazing artwork, very gory at times but I've read Berserk and this is nothing compared to that. But it does remind me of Berserk with the theme of revenge and the "dark side taking over" is like Guts' Berserker armour.
Can't wait to see where the story goes next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2025
Papa ist ein Held der Gerechtigkeit
Kanetsugu nimmt Rache an den Mördern seiner Frau und seinem Kind. Kann er es schaffen, die Unsterblichen zu besiegen? Zum Glück hilft ihm das Mädchen dabei, welches zudem beschliesst mit ihrem Anhängsel, einem Monster einzuziehen.
Das Dorf der Wunder - entstand dort der Ursprung zu allem? und woher hat Kanetsugu eine solche Macht?
brutal, düster und purer Horror!
Eine Empfehlung
Kanetsugu nimmt Rache an den Mördern seiner Frau und seinem Kind. Kann er es schaffen, die Unsterblichen zu besiegen? Zum Glück hilft ihm das Mädchen dabei, welches zudem beschliesst mit ihrem Anhängsel, einem Monster einzuziehen.
Das Dorf der Wunder - entstand dort der Ursprung zu allem? und woher hat Kanetsugu eine solche Macht?
brutal, düster und purer Horror!
Eine Empfehlung
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2025
3.5 stars
October 24, 2026
Trigger warnings for: two scenes of on page rape, body horror
I’m not a fan of rape — I mean, most of us aren’t — I understand why it was used in this graphic novel. It’s horrible, and worse than that, it’s a common, every day horror that can and does change someone’s life. Adding into the cosmic body horror of the changes wrought to the body by the fruit of the Yomotsuhegui tree grounds some of the fantasy elements of this book. But is it necessary to show not one but two scenes of a girl being raped?
I get it in that it adds a more visceral reaction for me when reading. And it makes the reader feel sympathy for the girl, who has been Sakase’s victim for seven years, and makes the reader loathe Sakasae that much more, so it is there for a purpose, and while the scenes are on page they are neither overly graphic nor are they drawn for titiliation; the scenes are horrible and meant to be horrible.
So it’s up to the individual reader if this is something they want to avoid or not. For myself, while I get why its there and can appreciate the horrific elements of it, I didn’t need to see it to be horrified. And now with that out of the way, the rest of the review.
It's an interesting story with a strong main character, and an equally strong villain of the week with the overarching big bad having a point of view I can understand. The shingami is an ass but, after so long, and so many attempts, I can understand why she’s neither trying to coax nor plead with our MC to help her. He’s just another chance, another would-be hero, and if he fails … she’ll find another one.
This won’t be an easy story for some, and I do think there was a missed opportunity to show the afflicted characters having any physical pain at what was being done to them; it’s well put together, well drawn and well paced, and it’s an effective horror story. I don’t know that I will ever read it again, but I’d be willing to pick up the next volume to see what happens next. I’m not sure I’d be willing to go much further, though, depending on the nature and quality of the violence and horror.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
I’m not a fan of rape — I mean, most of us aren’t — I understand why it was used in this graphic novel. It’s horrible, and worse than that, it’s a common, every day horror that can and does change someone’s life. Adding into the cosmic body horror of the changes wrought to the body by the fruit of the Yomotsuhegui tree grounds some of the fantasy elements of this book. But is it necessary to show not one but two scenes of a girl being raped?
I get it in that it adds a more visceral reaction for me when reading. And it makes the reader feel sympathy for the girl, who has been Sakase’s victim for seven years, and makes the reader loathe Sakasae that much more, so it is there for a purpose, and while the scenes are on page they are neither overly graphic nor are they drawn for titiliation; the scenes are horrible and meant to be horrible.
So it’s up to the individual reader if this is something they want to avoid or not. For myself, while I get why its there and can appreciate the horrific elements of it, I didn’t need to see it to be horrified. And now with that out of the way, the rest of the review.
It's an interesting story with a strong main character, and an equally strong villain of the week with the overarching big bad having a point of view I can understand. The shingami is an ass but, after so long, and so many attempts, I can understand why she’s neither trying to coax nor plead with our MC to help her. He’s just another chance, another would-be hero, and if he fails … she’ll find another one.
This won’t be an easy story for some, and I do think there was a missed opportunity to show the afflicted characters having any physical pain at what was being done to them; it’s well put together, well drawn and well paced, and it’s an effective horror story. I don’t know that I will ever read it again, but I’d be willing to pick up the next volume to see what happens next. I’m not sure I’d be willing to go much further, though, depending on the nature and quality of the violence and horror.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
October 27, 2026
A pretty dark decent manga about a cop whose family was killed and he becomes immortal thanks to the grim reaper herself, Ren. Be warned there is rape and gore all over the place!
Thanks Netgalley and Seven Seas for letting me discover this!
Thanks Netgalley and Seven Seas for letting me discover this!
October 24, 2026
Really good story and felt a mix between Berserk and Chainsawman. Interesting premise and equally interesting characters. I’ll be adding vol.2 to my TBR.
Thank you NetGalley and Seven Seas Entertainment for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Seven Seas Entertainment for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2025
Ehhh idk how I feel about this one.
Trigger warnings for murder, sa/rape, gore/death etc.
Some scenes were very graphic and hard to read, especially the one depicting the murder and rape of a woman. I really wasn’t expecting anything like that either.
The general plot of the manga was interesting enough, but I just feel like those scenes were unnecessary to the overall story.
As for the characters, I don’t really care for any of them, they feel a little boring tbh.
I have vol 2 so I’ll read that, but not sure if this is a series I’ll continue after that, sadly.
Trigger warnings for murder, sa/rape, gore/death etc.
Some scenes were very graphic and hard to read, especially the one depicting the murder and rape of a woman. I really wasn’t expecting anything like that either.
The general plot of the manga was interesting enough, but I just feel like those scenes were unnecessary to the overall story.
As for the characters, I don’t really care for any of them, they feel a little boring tbh.
I have vol 2 so I’ll read that, but not sure if this is a series I’ll continue after that, sadly.
October 23, 2026
An excellent work, enriched by striking illustrations.
Given the harsh nature of the narrative—which includes references to sexual assault, torture, and other such elements—it may not be suitable for all readers; however, if you enjoyed Berserk, this work should be right up your alley.
Given the harsh nature of the narrative—which includes references to sexual assault, torture, and other such elements—it may not be suitable for all readers; however, if you enjoyed Berserk, this work should be right up your alley.
October 19, 2026
I'm a little bit obsessed with this manga. The art is absolutely magnificent. The story makes you feel sad, hopeless, angry, vengeful, hopeful, and intrigued all at the same time. It was a literal rollercoaster of emotions. I already have the remaining volumes for the series in my cart for purchase.
Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, and the Author for the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions!
Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, and the Author for the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions!
July 8, 2026
4.5/5
If you like Berserk, this is for you.
I really enjoyed this, but you need to pay attention to the TWs. This is not for the faint of heart. If you avoid content that involves SA, do not engage with this. It is absolutely a tragic story. Now, let's get to the actual review part.
Our main character is an ex cop just getting out of jail after shooting the man who killed his family (all of this is in the description of the first book, therefore not a spoiler). The art is grotesque and incredibly detailed. The characters are excellently developed. The villain is absolutely brutal, and fits the concept perfectly. You get enough information and lore to ensure you're invested, but not enough to bog you down. Disgusting Eldritch demons coupled with absolutely gnarly, graphic, violence and death scenes make for some of the most detailed pages I've seen in a short series. I can't find words to accurately express how great the art is.
Overall, it reminds me a lot of "I'm the Grim Reaper" conceptually but much darker (as mentioned, similar to Berserk). I enjoy the partnership between the main characters, but I look forward to gaining more of an understanding about what exactly is going on in the next entry.
So far, if you've got the stomach for Eldritch beasts getting absolutely eviscerated, violence, and SA, I'd honestly recommend this. We'll see if that changes!
If you like Berserk, this is for you.
I really enjoyed this, but you need to pay attention to the TWs. This is not for the faint of heart. If you avoid content that involves SA, do not engage with this. It is absolutely a tragic story. Now, let's get to the actual review part.
Our main character is an ex cop just getting out of jail after shooting the man who killed his family (all of this is in the description of the first book, therefore not a spoiler). The art is grotesque and incredibly detailed. The characters are excellently developed. The villain is absolutely brutal, and fits the concept perfectly. You get enough information and lore to ensure you're invested, but not enough to bog you down. Disgusting Eldritch demons coupled with absolutely gnarly, graphic, violence and death scenes make for some of the most detailed pages I've seen in a short series. I can't find words to accurately express how great the art is.
Overall, it reminds me a lot of "I'm the Grim Reaper" conceptually but much darker (as mentioned, similar to Berserk). I enjoy the partnership between the main characters, but I look forward to gaining more of an understanding about what exactly is going on in the next entry.
So far, if you've got the stomach for Eldritch beasts getting absolutely eviscerated, violence, and SA, I'd honestly recommend this. We'll see if that changes!
July 8, 2026
Bu mənim, məncə, ilk mangamdır. Çox zövq alaraq oxudum, hər zaman manga oxumağa başlamaq istəmişəm, amma bir türlü alınmayıb. Çox bəyəndim! Qorxu-fantasy janrındadır. Ailəsi cinayətə qurban germiş bir polis qızının və yoldaşının intiqamını almaq üçün çıxdığı yolda Yomotsuhegui adında bir ağacın ölümsüzlük meyvəsindən yeyən və bu sayədə “Ölümsüz” olan insanlarla qarşılaşır. Zamanla özünün də “supernatural” bir varlıq olduğunu kəşf edən Nawa-san Ölüm Tanrısıyla birlikdə bu “Ölümsüzlərə” qarşı mübarizə aparır. İkinci kitab da əlimdədir, onu da oxuyacam, amma 3.kitabı hələ ki əldə edə bilməmişəm. Məsləhətim 3-nü də alandan sonra oxuyun, çünki bir kitab bir saata filan bitir zatən.
March 24, 2026
Trigger warning : this is a very dark manga which explores topics of death, murder, violence, sa, suicidal thoughts, and grief.
Make sure you aware of these factors before choosing to continue with it as it might not be for you. That being said, I really liked the premise of the story and the art style was phenomenal. I understand both ideologies presented so far: 1) life without grief and sadness 2)breaking the natural order of things and people abusing this for their disgusting benefits.
Curious to see how the story will continue.
Make sure you aware of these factors before choosing to continue with it as it might not be for you. That being said, I really liked the premise of the story and the art style was phenomenal. I understand both ideologies presented so far: 1) life without grief and sadness 2)breaking the natural order of things and people abusing this for their disgusting benefits.
Curious to see how the story will continue.
April 11, 2024
Aunque la historia no es una locura, es un shonen bastante gore, oscuro y retorcido (en lo gráfico) además el protagonista es medio Cthulhu así que no me puedo ofender. Me gustan mucho, mucho los dibujos. Kakizaki hace unos monstruos increíbles y te compra más por los ojos que por otra cosa.
May 16, 2024
A solid start to a short story, with heavy themes and graphic scenes, so read with caution. The protagonist has a good personality (meaning, he's the kind of protagonists/main characters I like), the plot is really interesting and the art is gorgeous
July 17, 2024
3.5, rounded up to a 4 for Goodreads.
For picking this up randomly based off the cover, it was a good, quick read. I was unsure at the beginning, but towards the halfway mark and end of the book, I was invested. I’m looking forward to continuing this series and seeing where Nawa and Ren go.
For picking this up randomly based off the cover, it was a good, quick read. I was unsure at the beginning, but towards the halfway mark and end of the book, I was invested. I’m looking forward to continuing this series and seeing where Nawa and Ren go.
May 27, 2025
Le tavole di questo manga sono stupende, soprattutto quelle che coprono entrambe le pagine
Essendo solo 3 volumi la storia scorre molto bene, pochi fronzoli ma con le informazioni che servono
Anche i personaggi presentati mi sono piaciuti, avanti il prossimo volume
Essendo solo 3 volumi la storia scorre molto bene, pochi fronzoli ma con le informazioni che servono
Anche i personaggi presentati mi sono piaciuti, avanti il prossimo volume
November 11, 2024
Intrigante e con disegni pazzeschi, decisamente horror splatter ma con un tema bello potente.
Attendo il prossimo volume con trepidazione
Attendo il prossimo volume con trepidazione
December 4, 2024
4,5/5⭐
Just amazing
Just amazing
December 23, 2024
Sus 3 tomos
June 15, 2025
Awesome story en beautiful artwork.
August 2, 2025
I love a story that ends. A great quick read that doesn’t look to stretch it out as much as they can.
The artwork is awesome and it wraps up nicely. Highly recommend.
The artwork is awesome and it wraps up nicely. Highly recommend.
October 1, 2025
this was awesome! it really triggered my trypophobia
May 29, 2026
Excellent horror premise + art. Could've done without the rape/torture and suicide. It was already bleak enough without using sexual violence as a plot device.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews